The Northwestern
Indiana Regional Planning Commission has officially awarded a grant to the
Town of Chesterton for Phase III of the Westchester-Liberty Trail.
So Town Council
Member Jim Ton, R-1st, reported at the council’s meeting Tuesday night.
The grant totals
$1,209,375.
In February, Ton
reported that NIRPC had given its highest grade for multi-use trail projects
to Phase III, which will continue the eight-foot sidewalk along 1100N from
South Fifth Street to 100E. It will be constructed on the north side of
1100N, but approximately halfway between the two intersections a spur on the
south side will be built leading into park property in the Tamarack
subdivision, then continue through the neighborhood until debouching onto
100E where it will meet Rail Road, thus effectively linking Coffee Creek
Center with Dogwood Park and--via the sidewalk along 23rd Street--with the
Prairie Duneland Trail and points east.
The total estimated
cost of Phase III: $1,406,250. The town’s portion of the cost: around
$300,000, with the balance being with federal moneys.
RR Quiet Zone
In other business,
Town Engineer Mark O’Dell reported that work continues on a request for
proposals for a feasibility study on a quiet-zone retrofit of the railroad
grade-crossings in Downtown Chesterton.
O’Dell said that,
on Associate Town Attorney Chuck Parkinson’s suggestion, he’s working to add
some statutorily required language to the RFP, which should be ready soon
for final legal review and then advertisement.
By consensus,
members also agreed to add the railroad quiet zone to the council’s
bimonthly agenda under “Old Business.”
Ton noted that the
quiet zone is a hot topic for many people. “That’s what I get the most
feedback on right now,” he said.
Re: Intersection of
Porter/Calumet
Meanwhile, O’Dell
told the council that he and his staff are currently inspecting the
intersection of Porter Ave. and South Calumet Road, which the council would
like, eventually, to widen and traffic-signal. To that end, the council is
awaiting the results of two statutorily required appraisals of the property
at the southeast corner of the intersection, which is now up for sale.
That property would
be used for right-of-way in the project.
O’Dell noted that a
fire hydrant at the intersection has been installed in an easement granted
to Indiana American Water Company. “It’s right in the middle of things,”
O’Dell said. “We’re trying to find all those red flags.”
Business
Inspections
O’Dell also told
the council that the Building Department and Fire Department have begun
working closely together on business inspections, lately inspecting the new
Biggby Coffee at 3091 Village Point and the new Domino’s Pizza at 560 Indian
Boundary Road.
The Domino’s
inspection went perfectly well, O’Dell said, but he acknowledged that the
employees there were surprised when “10 guys walked through the door.”
Re: CFD Training
Building and Pickup Truck
At the request of
Fire Chief John Jarka, members voted unanimously to approve an expenditure
of $12,000 in CEDIT moneys to be used to repair the roof of the CFD’s
training building, located on the east side of 23rd Street just north of
Dogwood Park.
The polebarn
building used to belong to the Park Department.
At the same time,
members signed off on the transfer of a 1999 Ford F-250 belonging to the CFD
to the Park Department.
New Officer, New
Firefighter
Police Chief Dave
Cincoski took a moment to announce that a new police officer has been given
a conditional offer of employment, pending approval by the 1977 Police
Officers’ and Firefighters Retirement Fund.
His name: Eric
Lisoski.
Jarka similarly
announced the hire of a new firefighter, whom he will introduce at an
upcoming meeting of the council.